http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/...e_gam.html

Plenty to talk about here.

(06-30-2014 12:27 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/...e_gam.html

Plenty to talk about here.

tv negotiations are ongoing, nothing on expansion.

(06-30-2014 12:34 PM)cmufanatic Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 12:27 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/...e_gam.html

Plenty to talk about here.

tv negotiations are ongoing, nothing on expansion.

Quote:ESPN has moved all of the 'rivalry' games around the league to late in the season to take advantage of the popular midweek TV window in November.

What took so long?

I wonder, is the delay in TV negotiations a good thing or a bad thing? Certainly, some good has come of it with the bowl tie-ins and the resurrection of Rivalry Week. But the big issue has been and always be the payout. MAC teams need every scrap they can get.

(06-30-2014 01:11 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  I wonder, is the delay in TV negotiations a good thing or a bad thing? Certainly, some good has come of it with the bowl tie-ins and the resurrection of Rivalry Week. But the big issue has been and always be the payout. MAC teams need every scrap they can get.

It can only be a good thing if for no other reason than the MAC didn't jump on the first thing offered.

"Thank you Sir, may I have another?"

I know people disliked the Bracketbuster, but I think a lot of that is because it expanded to include lots of crappy teams. If it had remained solely a match-up of the top 20 or 30 mid-majors, it would be a great event.

The MAC has finally realized that it has value and is leveraging that in the negotiations.

Realignment was actually good to the MAC. The writing was on the wall with E$PN maybe looking to replace (or at least attempt to use as leverage against) the MAC with extended Sun Belt weeknight games. But with that league morphing into a FCS/FBS hybrid the wind went out of that sail (Suck it, ESPN!).

The value (or lack thereof) that the TV networks are placing on the new CUSA (aka Sun Belt) is evident with the reduction in the exercising of rights to those games and the reduction in pay. There is a bit of "saving face" going on with accounting so that CUSA didn't actually get a pay decrease but "operating expenses" were deducted from the payout to the conference, so that the Net/takeaway is already lower and will likely be decreasing again when the deal is renegotiated.

When it's all said and done, the MAC will be paid like the its PEER conferences (MWC and AAC). I've been projecting this for a while and am more sure of it than ever. Even if the Gross is lower, by the time operating costs are deducted, the MAC will NET at or above the MWC and AAC.

Good times.

(06-30-2014 12:56 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

Quote:ESPN has moved all of the 'rivalry' games around the league to late in the season to take advantage of the popular midweek TV window in November.

What took so long?

Speaking of rivalries, shouldn't the MAC fabricate one for NY-Buffalo vs EMU (like it did for NIU vs Ball State)?

MAC Main Rivalries
BG vs Toledo (Battle of I-75)
Kent State vs Akron (Wagon Wheel)
Miami vs Ohio (Battle of the Bricks)
WMU vs CentMich (Victory Cannon)

"Recently Created"
NIU vs Ball State (Bronze Stalk)
NY-Buffalo vs EMU (Peace Bridge)*

*Proposed (NY-Buffalo and EMU could play for the "Peace Bridge Trophy")

From Wiki:

Quote:The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects the City of Buffalo, New York, in the United States to the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, in Canada. It is operated and maintained by the binational Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.

The quickest way (via ground transport) from NY-Buffalo campus to EMU campus is via Canada by crossing the Peace Bridge.

Buffalo vs Detroit. This might be a good time for EMU to start marketing itself as a Detroit team.

ummm no detroit has its team scUM. Any attempt to try and make EMU detroits team would not end well.

Buffalo vs Detroit. This might be a good time for EMU to start marketing itself as a Detroit team.
[/quote]

(06-30-2014 03:23 PM)cmufanatic Wrote:  ummm no detroit has its team scUM. Any attempt to try and make EMU detroits team would not end well.

Yes, I wouldn't dream of doing that, note the wording used.

I didn't suggest that EMU try to be "Detroit's team" but rather market itself "as a Detroit team," big difference. Baby steps.

(06-30-2014 03:31 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:23 PM)cmufanatic Wrote:  ummm no detroit has its team scUM. Any attempt to try and make EMU detroits team would not end well.

Yes, I wouldn't dream of doing that, note the wording used.

I didn't suggest that EMU try to be "Detroit's team" but rather market itself "as a Detroit team," big difference. Baby steps.

Toledo has already raided the Detroit market.


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(06-30-2014 11:01 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:31 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:23 PM)cmufanatic Wrote:  ummm no detroit has its team scUM. Any attempt to try and make EMU detroits team would not end well.

Yes, I wouldn't dream of doing that, note the wording used.

I didn't suggest that EMU try to be "Detroit's team" but rather market itself "as a Detroit team," big difference. Baby steps.

Toledo has already raided the Detroit market.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Michigan went to war (and won) to rid itself of Toledo.

Detroit is EMU country!

(06-30-2014 11:10 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 11:01 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:31 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:23 PM)cmufanatic Wrote:  ummm no detroit has its team scUM. Any attempt to try and make EMU detroits team would not end well.

Yes, I wouldn't dream of doing that, note the wording used.

I didn't suggest that EMU try to be "Detroit's team" but rather market itself "as a Detroit team," big difference. Baby steps.

Toledo has already raided the Detroit market.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Michigan went to war (and won) to rid itself of Toledo.

Detroit is EMU country!

I don't know what your smoking, but Detroit is the furthest thing from EMU country. With partnerships with three out of the four pro sports team in Detroit and a four one on the way. EMU is getting pushed out of it's own back yard.


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(06-30-2014 11:18 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 11:10 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 11:01 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:31 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 03:23 PM)cmufanatic Wrote:  ummm no detroit has its team scUM. Any attempt to try and make EMU detroits team would not end well.

Yes, I wouldn't dream of doing that, note the wording used.

I didn't suggest that EMU try to be "Detroit's team" but rather market itself "as a Detroit team," big difference. Baby steps.

Toledo has already raided the Detroit market.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Michigan went to war (and won) to rid itself of Toledo.

Detroit is EMU country!

I don't know what your smoking, but Detroit is the furthest thing from EMU country. With partnerships with three out of the four pro sports team in Detroit and a four one on the way. EMU is getting pushed out of it's own back yard.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Them sound like fighting words.

EMU vs Ass City Brawl!

(06-30-2014 02:38 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  This might be a good time for EMU to start marketing itself as a Detroit team.

(06-30-2014 11:01 PM)utpotts Wrote:  Toledo has already raided the Detroit market.

(06-30-2014 11:18 PM)utpotts Wrote:  I don't know what your smoking, but Detroit is the furthest thing from EMU country. With partnerships with three out of the four pro sports team in Detroit and a four one on the way. EMU is getting pushed out of it's own back yard.

Why so threatened by EMU?

Yes with the major conferences BCS types going to their own networks this creates more programming holes for the CBS, NBC ESPN and ABC of the sports world. They will be looking at conferences like the MAC to fill those programming holes.

(07-01-2014 12:06 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Yes with the major conferences BCS types going to their own networks this creates more programming holes for the CBS, NBC ESPN and ABC of the sports world. They will be looking at conferences like the MAC to fill those programming holes.

MAC members still need to step up and offer a marketable product. I'm not sure the full conference is on board with that.

MAC and Horizon should work together for a weekend of basketball to replace the bracket buster.
Can't 2 basketball directors sit down a week before game day and match the teams? I could get 2 guys at the bar and have the matchup s in 15 minutes.

(06-30-2014 02:38 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  <snip>
Speaking of rivalries, shouldn't the MAC fabricate one for NY-Buffalo vs EMU (like it did for NIU vs Ball State)?

MAC Main Rivalries
BG vs Toledo (Battle of I-75)
Kent State vs Akron (Wagon Wheel)
Miami vs Ohio (Battle of the Bricks)
WMU vs CentMich (Victory Cannon)

"Recently Created"
NIU vs Ball State (Bronze Stalk)
NY-Buffalo vs EMU (Peace Bridge)*

*Proposed (NY-Buffalo and EMU could play for the "Peace Bridge Trophy")

From Wiki:

Quote:The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects the City of Buffalo, New York, in the United States to the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, in Canada. It is operated and maintained by the binational Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.

The quickest way (via ground transport) from NY-Buffalo campus to EMU campus is via Canada by crossing the Peace Bridge.
<snip>

If that bridge crosses from Buffalo to Detroit, it's a mighty long bridge.